The Alpha Male

     One of my favorite articles that we have read so far in this class is Ken Gillam's article titled, "Post-Princess Models of Gender: The New Man in Disney/Pixar." In this article, Gillam argues that Pixar promotes a more feminine model of masculinity rather than the traditional alpha male. Using Lightning McQueen from Cars, Mr. Incredible from The Incredibles, and Woody and Buzz Lightyear from Toy Story as evidence, Gillam does a fantastic job of showing that these three films promote a less macho version of masculinity. 
     This article reminded me of my brother a lot. Over the last few years, my brother has struggled with the idea of masculinity as he faced graduating from college and entering the real world. He has been diagnosed with having anxiety and obsessive compulsive disorder. My brother's form of obsessive compulsion comes in the form of obsessive thoughts, and one of these thoughts that he has had some trouble shaking over the last couple of years is this idea of being an alpha male. My brother obsesses about typical things such as being able to provide for his family, however he also focuses on trying not to show emotions and physique. There have been many times where my brother will become depressed because he believes he is not the tall, muscular man of most films. Although I attempt to reassure him that nothing is wrong with him or his body, he is unable to shake these thoughts and they continue to plague him. 
    Often times, too much of Disney's criticisms focus on the company's portrayal of women in its animated films. Although there is still room for improvement, Disney has come a long way when it comes to female stereotypes when one considers the differences between Snow White and Rapunzel. Now it is time to focus on Disney's men. The typical depiction of Disney princes are men with lean bodies and immense courage and strength. They show no fear in the face of danger and they are always there to protect their female counterparts. This portrayal is unrealistic and boys need to be shown that it is okay to let a woman take care of them occasionally and that emotions should not be suppressed or avoided. The media affects men as well as women, and we need to start recognizing this and working towards more accurate depictions of both male and female roles.